SRB - Kovacic: Hard work still ahead

BRATISLAVA (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Serbia coach Zoran Kovacic is not getting carried away despite his side's impressive start to FIBA U19 World Championship for Women.

Kovacic's team have defeated Canada 79-63, Czech Republic 76-71 and Japan 103-89 so far in Bratislava, but Kovacic believes the real challenges are still to come.

He said: "We've finished the preliminary phase quite well, but as all other teams that progressed know, the biggest tasks are in front of us.

"This is the World Championship, and it is a lot different to any continental one.

"In Europe, for example, all of us have a similar style. But at the World Championship both coach and team must be prepared for different challenges in every single game.

"I mean, we've faced Czechs who play tough and aggressively in defense, then we played Japan who are quite good from distance. They love to use that kind of play, and now we are faced with new tasks, like Brazilians whose play is based on fast and furious attacks.

"Every single game is a story in itself, and that's both the greatest and toughest thing in the tournament."

Kovacic went on to praise Zeljko Vukicevic, a former Serbia & Montenegro coach, whose host side Slovakia were also 3-0 in the preliminary phase.

"Slovakia played very well, but Sweden also positively surprised us all," he said.

"On the other hand, I expected more of the Brazilians in the first phase. You have just one dominant side from America - Team USA. The Africans - Mali and Ivory Coast - are still underdogs at the top level.

"So Europe is still in the main role. We, along with Spain and the Czechs, and even Slovakia and Sweden, are leading the new wave of European female basketball."

Speaking of forthcoming challenges, Kovacic added: "We have to raise the level of our defense, but I hope we'll pass this second phase with two victories.

"Brazil, Sweden and Australia are quality sides, but if we win two of those three matches, I think we can be at least second in Group E.

"That would mean a lot for us as in the quarter-finals we won't face USA or China - squads that should be at the top of Group F."

Darko Nikolic
FIBA